Borganes/Borgarfjörður

Geology, Culture and History in Borgarfjörður region – a day packed with Adventures.

This is a full-day ring-tour of the Borganes/Borgarfjörður region. An exciting mix of culture and action, with optional stops along the way.​ We will visit sweet farms and see some of amazing geological wonders, both above and below ground. We will see the fantastic Ice Cave, a man made tunnel system in the Langjökull Glacier, so make sure you bring warm clothing, as well a comfortable and warm shoes!

This will also be a drive through the some of the historical heartland of Iceland, the setting of many of the tales of the Icelandic Sagas. Snorri Sturluson, one of the most important and influential writers of the Icelandic Sagas lived and worked here in the 12th Century in the town of Reykholt, Borgarfjörður, and even today, we can see the archeological remains including Snorralaug, the hot out-door bath which Snorri is said to have built and used while living in Reykholt. In Reykholt, we may visit Snorrastofa, a center for medieval studies, named after Snorri Sturluson, an exhibit of everyday life in the 12. century.

We may also visit the Háafell Icelandic Goatfarm, where you will get a sense of farm life in Iceland, and a nice introduction to the feisty Icelandic Goat. Iceland’s goat is a highly specialized breed which, like the Icelandic horse, has remained a purebreed since the time of the first settlements. There are only about 800 left of these magnificent creatures in Iceland, and even though they have has survived since the earliest settlements in the ninth century, they remain in danger of extinction. The owners of Háafell Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir and her husband Þorbjörn Oddsson have worked hard in order to preserve this unique goat and welcome visitors to their farm.

From there, we continue to The Cave, Viðgelmir Lava Cave, located about 40 minutes from Háafelli. Víðgelmir is a magnificent lava cave, formed when the Hallmundarhraun lava field flowed downwards in an eruption from one of the volcanoes by the glacier Langjökull around the year 930. It is the largest cave in Iceland, and at approximately 150,000 cubic metres (m3) one of the largest in the world. It is 1.585 km(!) in length, 16.5 metres at its widest and 15.8 metres high at its highest point – truly huge!

Optional – a possible lunch stop in Húsafell, a small village in the area.

Very close by are the beautiful waterfalls of Hraunfossar (Lava Falls). These falls are almost one kilometer wide and consist of countless springs of clear subterranean water, welling up from the underground through the edge of the lava field Hallmundarhraun. They form rapids that flow from ledges of less porous rock in the lava and continue into the glacial river Hvítá in Borgarfjörður. Truly some of the most magnificent falls found in Iceland.

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Then, one of the high-lights of the tour – the Man-made Ice Tunnel in Langjökull Glacier. Before we reach the tunnel-system, we drive via the base-camp of the Into the Glacier through the rugged landscape of the lower Highlands of the West side of Iceland. Then we reach the Ice Tunnel, or cave, opened in June 2015. This is the largest man-made ice cave tunnel in the world, situated inside Iceland’s second largest glacier, Langjökull. In this tunnel-system, you get to walk hundreds of metres into the glacier, through the amazing tunnel-system. A very unique experience, and something you cannot do anywhere else. Amazingly, despite their size, the tunnels take up only 0.000275% of the entire glacier!

During the summer months, we can take the drive along the Kaldidalur Highland road, only open some months of the year. The Kaldidalur road leads away from the glacier, and during former times, was used as a horse trek passage. Even today, it is a rough unpaved road, but a beautiful scenic route. In clear weather it offers incredible views of the Langjökull ice cap.

Please note that ​some of these activities come with additional fees, not included in our price.